"Dutch cow," he cried. "There's an insect, a fly, I should think, sitting on the hole at its back, where you put the cream in. And it comes out of its mouth, you know. Looks rather as if it was being sick." Madge's letter slipped to the ground as she applauded this. "Give me that letter," he said. "I'll tell you whom it is from. Oh, there's nurse; is it breakfast? I am so hungry. I'll tell you about the letter afterwards." Then for a moment he was silent, and his mouth grew grave. He had insisted late the evening before on being shaved, and the smooth chin, the smooth upper lip, were clean below the white bandages. The nurse had been confederate to this. "You see, the bandages are coming off to-morrow," he had said, "and Madge would hate to see me with this awful stubble. Sometimes, nurse, I usen't to shave before breakfast, and she always cut me--figuratively, you know--till I did. You'll find a razor about somewhere. Clip it first, please." So to-day he had cleanness of lip and chin, and now when the breakfast was being brought in, Madge drew her thumb and fourth finger down from his cheek to meet and pinch his chin. "You were afraid I should cut you," she said gently. "Yes, so I got shaved by nurse. Ah, Madge, sit on the bed, just there, and see me have breakfast. Have you had yours, by-the-way?" Madge recalled the events of the morning. "I don't think I have," she said. "Then may we have another cup, nurse?" said he. "Oh, it's bacon, I can smell bacon. Now, Madge, I'm boss of this show. You may think you were going to feed me; not at all--I'm going to feed you. How elusive bacon is. Are you sure the plate is there? Oh, I felt it, then." Here the nurse intervened, but with laughter. "Oh, Mr. Dundas, do lie quiet, and we will give you your breakfast. Yes, another cup. I'll send for one. But your bed will be 'all over' bacon." Madge made a negative sign to her. "There, you've got a piece," she said. "Raise it slowly, you clumsy boy! That's right; now wait. Your hand is really very steady. There!" And she slipped it off the fork into her mouth. "Oh, Madge," he cried, "how greedy! I thought I was going to get it. And I can't manage everything. I'll give you bacon if you'll give me toast and butter."